3 minute read
Lope De Vega sired his tenth Group 1 winner when Gytrash won the Lightning Stakes at Flemington.
Former Patinack shuttler Lope De Vega (Shamardal) sired his tenth Group 1 winner when Gytrash (4 g ex Miss Barley by Fastnet Rock) won Saturday's Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) at Flemington.
The victory also provided the gelding's trainer, Gordon Richards, with his first Group 1 winner.
Ridden on Saturday by Mark Zahra, Gytrash was one of three horses to go to the inside section of the straight course and he tracked the leader Redzel (Snitzel), whilst Nature Strip (Nicconi) led the four horses who came down the outside.
With 200 metres left to travel Gytrash surged past Redzel and defeated him by a length at the post, with Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible) third, a further short neck away. Nature Strip, who started favourite, finished fourth.
"I'm 68 and I've won my first Group One," Richards said.
"Not that I've had many tries at it. But if ever I was going to win one this is the horse that was going to do it. "He's just a machine. His work leading up to this, Jason Holder rides him fast work for me over in Adelaide and rode him in a special gallop between races and said 'this horse frightens me'."
Gytrash was bought for $70,000 at the 2016 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale from the draft of Glastonbury Farms before being re-offered the following year when he was bought by his trainer for $40,000 from the draft of Maluka Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
He has now won seven of his 15 starts and been placed a further seven times for earnings of $886,750.
Gytrash is out of the unraced Fastnet Rock (Danehill) mare Miss Barley who has produced one other winner to date. His second dam is the Listed-placed Wheatland Lady (Strawberry Road) who produced Listed winner Strawberry Storm (Thunder Gulch) and is herself the grandam of the talented Bjorn Baker-trained colt Goodfella (Snitzel).
Further back this is the family of Danroad (Danehill), Strawberry Boy (Redoute's Choice) and Newtown Jet (Prized).
Miss Barley was not covered in 2017 and produced nothing in 2019. She was covered by Universal Ruler (Scenic) in November last year.
Lope De Vega shuttled to Australia for four seasons between 2011 and 2014 and his fee at Ballylinch Stud this year is set at €100,000.
Meanwhile, Loving Gaby's Sebring (More Than Ready) half-sister will be offered as Lot 49 at the forthcoming Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the draft of Kia Ora Stud.
